The present invention relates to an interconnection device intended to make the electrical connections between solar cells used on board space vehicles.
A typical interconnection device as illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of a Z-shaped metal strip A whose two wings are intended to be welded to adjacent solar cells 1 and 2. These solar cells are mounted on a support 3 which is usually of aluminium, whilst the cells are usually constituted of silicon.
When the space vehicle is in orbit, the panels formed by the assemblies of solar cells undergo considerable stresses owing to wide periodic temperature variations (these variations can normally range from -80.degree. C. to +80.degree. C. approximately) and owing to mechanical vibrations. Since the coefficients of linear expansion are different for aluminium and silicon, that is, for the materials constituting the solar cells and their support, considerable strains arise in the interconnection devices. The known Z-shaped devices cannot withstand severe strains in a transverse direction to the parallel adjacent edges of contiguous solar cells, so that these interconnection devices tend to split and rupture.
The problem solved by the invention was how to improve the resistance of the interconnection devices to these transverse strains and the object of the invention is an improved interconnection device which is capable of giving in all directions and which consequently considerably reduces the fatigue of the interconnection devices in space orbit.